Colombia severs diplomatic ties with Iran

BOGOTA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the country formally severed diplomatic relations with Iran effective Sept. 19.

The decision was based on Colombia's foreign policy principles concerning national and hemispheric security and the fight against transnational crime, taking into account alleged links between the Iranian government and international terrorist groups and other "narco-terrorist" organizations that Colombia considers a security threat, the ministry said.

"These events have eroded Colombia's confidence in the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement stressed that the severing of diplomatic relations does not constitute a break in consular relations, in accordance with the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations.